Epifanio Guzman and his wife, Rachel, had fought before, but the fight they had one Friday night in late May was different.

Their night began with drinks at home as family members and friends came and went. At one point, they went into their bedroom and locked the door.

Other people saw that, but Epifanio is the only surviving witness to what followed.

Rachel became defensive and in an attempt to subdue her, Epifanio said, he grabbed her from behind and put his arm around her neck. Rachel’s body went limp.

Thinking Rachel had passed out, Epifanio said he laid her on the bed and fell asleep beside her. When he woke up the next morning, he saw the blood. It had dripped out of her mouth onto her face and pillow.

“I thought I just choked her out,” he said. “I didn’t think I had killed her till the next morning.”

On June 4, Big Spring police arrested Epifanio, who told detectives he killed his wife and directed them to her body. According to a police report, he told authorities he was in Big Spring to kill his stepfather — the two had a history of confrontations.

Epifanio Guzman was subsequently indicted for murder and is being held in the Lubbock County Jail in lieu of a $1 million bond.

Earlier this month, Epifanio sat in front of a webcam in a room at the jail to give the Avalanche-Journal an exclusive interview. His image appeared on a computer within the visiting area.

Epifanio and other family members tell of a couple madly in love. Like most couples, they had their arguments — some worse than others.

Police reports, both from the slaying and previous assaults, show a man with a history of violence.

The 20 minutes ticked down on the screen as Epifanio spoke, his story interrupted frequently by his sobs.

Family ties

Epifanio and Rachel met when they were children.

His uncle married her mother, so they were raised as cousins, he said. As they grew older, Epifanio began pursuing Rachel romantically, but her mother put an end to their relationship.

He said he searched for her for 27 years and finally ran into her at a family reunion. It didn’t take long to reconnect because he never stopped loving her.

“My baby,” he said, “she was great.”

They were always together and they took care of one another, he said. Jasmine Gonzales, Epifanio’s niece, would visit them frequently and she said this end to their relationship leaves her with more questions than answers.

“She was a good person,” she said. “They had a normal relationship.”

Friends and family said the couple would argue, but Rachel was not abused. Family members on both sides have said Rachel was often the aggressor in fights.

Rachel’s son, Israel Ledesma, said his mother was a strong, independent woman.

“You can’t put your hands on her,” he said. “She’ll be the first to put her hands on you.”

Daughter-in-law Sonya Guzman said it was that mentality that made her love Rachel.

“She had a lot of attitude,” she said with a half grin.

Sonya said Rachel taught her a woman can be independent and still care for her husband. She said she admired Rachel and Epifanio’s love, so the family was in shock when Rachel was killed.

“They were big note people,” Sonya said. “He would write her love notes and she would leave love messages written on their mirrors.”

Brittany Riley lived next door to Rachel and Epifanio in their South Lubbock neighborhood. She described them as a friendly, happy couple who welcomed her into their home. When she moved in, she said the couple still had a “just married” sign on their door. Epifanio and Rachel had been together for three years, but were in their first year of marriage.

Riley said she never heard them argue.

Epifanio’s son, Aaron Guzman, said he and Sonya will always remember their final visit with Rachel. She was teasing Aaron and Sonya about having children. Sonya said that is a memory they will recall when they do have children.

After Rachel began her relationship with Epifanio, Israel said she embraced her maternal instincts and loved being a grandmother. Epifanio made his mother happy and when Epifanio asked for Rachel’s hand in marriage, he said they had his blessing.

However, not all of her family was happy with the union.

Rachel’s cousin Connie Lopez said she had her doubts about Epifanio because of his past. Lopez said Rachel stopped speaking with her when she began questioning Epifanio about his prior convictions.

Epifanio respectfully answered all of her questions, said Lopez, who said that was the last time she came in contact with him.

The police report also said one of Rachel’s family members told police they were having marital problems because of recent charges of indecency with a child filed against Epifanio.

A fatal affair

Israel said he knew Epifanio and Rachel had been arguing the night of May 30 and believed alcohol could have contributed to the violence.

“If you feel too emotional, I don’t believe you should be drinking,” he said.

Epifanio said the struggle began when he confronted Rachel about some family issues. At that point, he said, Rachel attacked him and he choked her.

When Epifanio woke up the next morning and realized his wife was dead, he panicked.

“I was blank; I didn’t know what to do,” he said as he sat in his orange jumpsuit. “I was going crazy until the day they got me. I wasn’t even myself.”

The police report outlined that day’s action.

Epifanio told authorities he wrapped Rachel’s body in a red sleeping bag, loaded it into his 2002 Saturn Vue and drove to Big Spring where he has family.

Along the way, he stopped at a secluded area within Big Spring city limits and left Rachel’s body outside.

Once in Big Spring, he went to the workplace of Juanita Rodriguez, a relative, according to the police report. When she asked about the scratches on his face, chest and arms, Epifanio said he was tired of Rachel attacking him, so he left her.

The following day, Epifanio showed up at Rodriquez’s residence while drinking a beer. She confronted him about Rachel’s disappearance and shortly after, she noticed him wiping the door handles of his vehicle with a green rag.

She told police she locked her doors and hid in the backyard in fear. When she came out, she found a photo from Epifanio and Rachel’s wedding day, as well as a few other personal items. Other family members said all of their pictures were gone from the home along with many of Epifanio’s belongings.

A history of crime

An arrest warrant was issued for a previous charge of indecency with a child-sex contact after a child within the family told her parents Epifanio had touched her genitals through her clothing. Lubbock police issued an arrest warrant for the indecency charge on June 4, and Big Spring police took Epifanio into custody that same day. During questioning, Epifanio admitted to authorities he had killed Rachel and dumped her body.

He also had recently been arrested for theft; according to a police report, Rachel bailed him out on May 27.

His criminal record shows he had a history in Big Spring, where he was arrested on an assault charge in 1990.

Epifanio’s family members said there have been serious domestic tensions between Epifanio and his stepfather, Gutierrez.

Epifanio told detectives he was unable to carry out his plans to kill Gutierrez because he could never get him alone.

A court record shows Epifanio also served 60 days in Lubbock County Jail in 2005 after pleading guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for an incident that occurred in 1998.

Epifanio’s niece, Jasmine Gonzales, said this stemmed from a fight between Epifanio and her stepfather after a family member ran away from home.

“I’d never hold anything against him,” she said. “He’s my uncle.”

In memoriam

On June 10, the evening of Rachel’s rosary, Israel Ledesma stood in front of a large crowd and spoke about staying emotionally strong.

Mourners wore bright green shirts with Rachel’s picture on the front.

“This was her favorite color,” a woman said in passing.

Rachel was seen smiling in pictures as a Tejano song, “Duele” or “Hurt,” played while onlookers sat and quietly wept.

Israel told of hardships the family had endured and surpassed. He said his mother was 14 years old when she had him, so they grew up together.

To honor his mother, Israel said he plans on visiting with city leaders to build a memorial in their neighborhood park so families can enjoy time together while remembering his mother.

Tears filled Aaron’s eyes as he spoke about his love for Rachel and Epifanio.

He said his stepbrother, Israel, approached him to apologize because not only did Aaron lose his stepmother, he lost his father as well. Aaron and Israel said Rachel would have wanted them to be together since she was all about family.

“I love her and miss her a lot and I’m sorry this happened,” Aaron said as he stared at the ground, “but she knows we love and miss her.”

Family members said she took great pride in her family.

Meanwhile, Rachel Guzman’s confessed killer sits in prison. With less than a minute of visiting time left, Epifanio said he regrets his actions. He wishes he could take back what happened.

“I’m sorry they lost their mom,” he said. “I’m sorry I lost the love of my life.”

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